


The First Night

by WolfAndHound_Archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Family, Post-Sirius in Azkaban, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 14:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5932354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfAndHound_Archivist/pseuds/WolfAndHound_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the first night of the day Harry and Sirius move into their new home, they have a talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The First Night

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Lassenia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Wolf and Hound](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Wolf_and_Hound), which was created to make stories posted to the Sirius_Black_and_Remus_Lupin Yahoo! mailing list easier to find. However, even though I still love the fandom, I am no longer active in it and do not have the time to maintain it. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in December 2015. I posted an announcement with Open Doors, but we may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on the [Wolf and Hound collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/wolfandhound/profile).

Still feeling a bit worn out from the moving-in process, Harry decided to go downstairs for a late-night snack. So intent he was on reaching the kitchen that he almost missed the flickering shadows coming from the living room. And the dark shadow that was Sirius. Sitting there with only a few candles for light, his godfather was looking at something in his hand.

Harry paused, uncertain whether he should disturb him, but it seemed wrong to just leave and say nothing. Forgetting about his snack, he ventured further into the room. "Sirius? Are you alright?"

The fact that he didn't jump told Harry he'd either known he was there or that he felt safe in these surroundings. With Sirius, the former was probably truer. He was far too cautious to ever let his guard down completely, even in their new home, even though the danger was past.

"Sirius?"

"I'm fine, Harry. Don't worry about me." Looking up at him, Sirius beckoned him closer, shifting to face him when he sat at his side. "But I **do** have something to tell you."

In spite of what he'd just said, Harry became anxious. Sirius looked so...well, serious. That couldn't promise good things.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

His godfather smiled in the dim light. "Nothing's wrong." He hesitated, then continued. "I wanted to ask you if you'd mind Remus living here with us as well."

"Professor Lupin?" Harry blinked at the unexpected subject, shrugged slightly. "No, I don't think so. It'd be nice to see him again." He studied Sirius, observing how unusually still he was. If nothing was wrong, why was he acting so strange? "Should I mind?"

Again the subtle smile. "I hope not, Harry," Sirius said, glancing away and thoughtfully pursing his lips. "We've been talking, Remus and I, and -- before anything else happened between us -- well, he wanted me to speak with you about..."

Harry watched as his typically in-control guardian stumbled for words.

Sirius let his breath out in exasperation. "Damnit," he murmured to himself, then looked at him again. "Well, Harry, a long time ago, when we were younger... we lived together."

Harry just stared at him, waiting patiently.

"We were **together** , Harry."

It took him a minute to realise what Sirius had meant. He blinked some more.

"Well?"

Silence.

"So, do you understand what I mean, Harry? If Remus came here, we'd be --"

Harry nodded. "No, I see." In his surprise, it felt odd to hear his own voice.

Sirius sighed. "I probably did this all wrong, but...but, well, what do you think?"

At the moment, he couldn't seem to think, but he forced himself to. His godfather and his ex-professor. Together. Like that. It was an odd idea in a way, since he'd never considered either in that light. But...

"It feels, I don't know, nice," he finally told Sirius, who relaxed somewhat.

"Then you wouldn't mind if we were together? I want you to be happy, Harry."

"Would it make **you** happy, Sirius?" Harry asked, knowing the answer as his guardian's expression brightened.

"I'd love to have him here, to be with him again," he said softly. He glanced downward at the paper he held. It was a photograph, Harry realised.

"What's that?" he asked quietly, wondering what it showed.

Sirius hesitated, then, smoothing it out with delicate touches, offered it to him. Gingerly, Harry took it.

A younger version of Professor Lupin and his godfather looked up at him. It was almost like a Muggle picture; it was unusually subdued. The seated figures didn't wave at him or smile, just stared back at him and held each other's hands.

"You don't seem too happy," Harry commented.

Sirius half-smiled. "It was sort of formal," he replied, eyes going vague with memory.

Harry studied the picture again. The clothes they wore added to the unfamiliarity. Professor Lupin wore a dark green robe which sparkled with hints of silver. Sirius was dressed after his name, the black fabric giving him a stark elegance. And there was healthy hue to both their faces that shone in spite of their natural pallor.

"Wow, I've never seen you so --" Rich, he'd been about to say. But that was hardly tactful. "You look real good," he said instead, sort of embarrassed.

"Well, we weren't poor. Actually we were pretty well off. Not rich," Sirius added, giving Harry an understanding look. "But we did save up quite a bit. And Remus would buy these clothes, and look drop-dead gorgeous, and I spent half the time trying to -- ah, forget it." He smiled.

Harry chuckled. "Take them off?"

"Harry!" Sirius glared at him in pretend shock. He plucked the picture away from him, staring down at it, a fingertip lightly caressing Professor Lupin's face and hair.

They said nothing for a long time. Sirius looked at the picture and Harry looked at the candle-flames. But his godfather turned to him when Harry spoke.

"This is your house more than mine. You bought it --"

"I bought it so you could have a place where you could feel welcome and at ease," his godfather interrupted. "I don't intend to change that --"

"You mean, you **wouldn't** bring Professor Lupin here if I asked you not to?" Harry frowned at him. "Even though you want him to come?"

Sirius shook his head. "I wouldn't want..." He swallowed. "Is that what you're asking me to do?"

"No!" Harry cried. He held up his hands. "Wait a minute. I'm not saying that at all. What I meant was that you have a right to have someone in your house if you want. I don't expect you to be alone just because of me. I'm not a child anymore; I can understand your wanting to be with someone." He leaned forward. "You won't hurt me if you do this, Sirius. I know you're trying your best to make me happy. And thank you."

His godfather stared back at him with his intense gaze. "Thank you, Harry," he replied hoarsely.

Harry finally had to break the moment. "You could have really made matters interesting, though. You could have said you wanted Professor Snape to move in." He hid a grin when Sirius grimaced.

"God, no," he groaned. He stared at the picture again as if wanting to get rid of an ugly image.

"So when is he coming?" Harry asked.

"I'll talk to him to-morrow," Sirius said, still keeping his eyes on the photograph. "We'll see. Thanks, Harry."

Awkwardly, Harry patted him on the arm. He wouldn't have minded hugging him, but Sirius had never been too tactile. From what he'd seen anyway. Maybe he'd act differently with Professor Lupin. He stood up when his stomach reminded him of his original purpose in coming down.

"Harry?"

He was grabbed and briefly crushed to Sirius' chest before being released. Harry stared up at his guardian, then grinned and headed for the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sirius gazed at the picture once more, smiling at what it now showed.

Remus had settled himself in the younger Sirius' lap and they were holding each other close. Sirius was gently running his lips across his companion's cheek. Eyes shut, Remus languidly turned his head, inviting the picture Sirius to kiss him on his other cheek. He was smiling dreamily.

Sirius touched the familiar face of the one he'd loved so much. The one he loved still. Soon, he would be able to be with him again. Soon.

"You are so beautiful, Moony," he whispered.


End file.
